The Data Protection Officer (DPO) fulfills a crucial and legally mandatory function within a federal government organization. You will work independently within a staff department and report directly to management. You will be responsible for independently advising, guiding, and overseeing compliance with data protection regulations. You will play a central role in strengthening privacy governance and supporting the organization in all aspects of data protection.
What you will do. Governance and oversight.
- Oversee compliance with GDPR, privacy legislation, and relevant regulations.
- Advise management and internal departments on their data protection obligations.
- Contribute to the development and monitoring of a clear framework of roles, responsibilities, procedures, and reporting mechanisms.
- Report to the highest management level on risks, areas for improvement, and the overall state of affairs.
- Safeguard the independence of the DPO function and avoid conflicts of interest.
Register of processing activities.
- Oversee the establishment, maintenance, and updating of the register of processing activities.
- Support internal departments in identifying and documenting personal data processing operations.
- Evaluate processing purposes, legal bases, retention periods, and data flows.
DPIAs and risk analysis.
- Advise on the necessity of Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs).
- Guide and review DPIAs for new or modified processing operations.
- Follow up on mitigating measures and residual risks.
- Advise on prior consultation with the Data Protection Authority when necessary.
Strategic and policy advice.
- Contribute to the development and updating of the data protection policy.
- Advise on strategic choices, digitalization projects, and new initiatives from a privacy perspective.
- Integrate data protection within broader governance, compliance, and risk management frameworks.
- Identify structural bottlenecks and formulate policy recommendations.
- Participate in the development of policy plans, guidelines, procedures, and control regulations.
Data breaches and incidents.
- Advise on the assessment and handling of data breaches and privacy incidents.
- Oversee statutory reporting obligations, including notifications to the Data Protection Authority.
- Advise on communication to data subjects when required.
- Support the establishment of an efficient standby and escalation mechanism.
- Analyze causes of incidents and formulate recommendations for corrective and preventive measures.
Contracts and collaboration with processors.
- Advise on processor agreements and data protection clauses.
- Oversee compliance with GDPR obligations by processors and partners.
- Identify privacy risks within outsourcing and collaboration arrangements.
- Act as a contact point for the Data Protection Authority and other relevant supervisory authorities.
- Participate in the information security committee.
Awareness and training.
- Develop and support awareness and training initiatives around data protection.
- Act as a point of contact for employees with privacy-related questions.
- Contribute to a strong privacy-aware organizational culture.
Central contact function.
- Act as a central point of contact for questions, notifications, and signals regarding personal data.
- Advise employees and management on new projects or changes in processing operations.
- Receive, register, and coordinate potential incidents and risks.
- Act as an accessible contact point for data subjects regarding data protection.
Profile
Required experience and expertise.
- At least 8 years of relevant professional experience.
- At least 5 years of experience in personal data protection.
- Thorough and demonstrable knowledge of GDPR, personal data protection principles, and related legislation.
- Experience with risk analysis and DPIA methodologies.
- Experience in developing and implementing data protection policies, procedures, guidelines, and control rules.
- Sufficient legal affinity to analyze and advise on contractual clauses, processor agreements, and collaboration agreements.
- Technical knowledge of secure data exchange between government organizations.
- At least three relevant references as an external DPO in large organizations.
Essential knowledge.
- GDPR compliance and relevant articles concerning processing, security, data breaches, and the DPO function.
- Privacy by Design and Privacy by Default.
- Documentation and accountability.
- Audits, inspections, and controls regarding data protection.
- Reporting on compliance, risks, and improvement actions.
Nice to have.
- Knowledge of NIS2 and Cyfun.
- Experience within a government department.
Personal competencies.
- Strong communication and collaboration skills.
- A high degree of integrity and discretion.
- The ability to work completely independently and intervene critically where necessary.
- Strong analytical skills and a keen eye for risks.
- A proactive and decisive attitude.
- The ability to make complex regulations understandable for non-legal audiences.
Language skills.
- Excellent command of Dutch or French.
- Able to understand the other national language fluently and express oneself sufficiently in it.
- Knowledge of English is a plus.
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